The Girl He Used To Know
by a-scribbler-26
Summary: Aimee and Nick have been through everything together. But with Nick keeping his feelings locked away and Aimee fighting for everything will the truth prove too much for them?
1. Chapter 1

_**Right, just a little note before hand. Apparently there is a few font issues on the rest of the chapters but I'm not too sure. Would appreciate being told if there is. Hope you enjoy it and reviews make people happy remember!**_

She sat on the sofa like every other afternoon, like she had for the past month. Cartoons on the TV, bored. She heard the door click open and thought about taking her feet off the table. She grimaced at the thought of moving and just sat there.

"Aimee?"

"In here." She groaned.

The living room door opened and Nick stood in the doorway. He tutted and sat next to her, dumping a carrier bag on the floor.

"What's up?" He asked, flicking his hair.

Aimee shrugged, sinking lower into the sofa.

"Aimee, come on!" He sighed loudly, "You can't let this stop you!"Nick was on his feet now, arms outstretched like a preacher. Aimee sighed, she didn't need another lecture.

"Look Nick. It's not the fact that it's stopping me, it's the fact that it _hurts_!" Aimee was pulling her strength together to argue with him, "You don't get it! It's killing me Nick! _**LITERALLY!**_"

Aimee slumped against the sofa again, her chest rising and falling in deep, ragged breaths. She couldn't keep arguing with him like this, it was hurting her more than… well… more than that. Nick stood in the middle of the room, the cartoon uttering meaningless words behind him, his head spinning. She'd never spouted at him like that before- in all the 17 years they'd known each other.

"I'm sorry Aimee." He whispered, moving towards her.

She put up a hand and waved him off. He didn't want to upset her anymore so he left. Aimee sat there, the TV just a blend of moving colour through her blurred eyes- emptiness didn't even begin to describe what she felt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Nick sat upstairs in the room Aimee's parents had given him so that he could be with her. He placed his head in his hands- palm to temple- and sighed heavily. He pulled his head back sharply, his black fringe falling over one eye as it usually did. He could hear only the TV downstairs but that was all you could ever hear- whether Aimee was asleep or awake. He had tried to be strong through this but the past month had been hard. Aimee was usually an excitable, energetic girl with delicate features. Her eyes glittered when she got into something and she was always cheerful and radiant- but the last month had seen a grey-skinned, dull-eyed, tired, uncaring Aimee that didn't have the energy to even get up on her own. It'd happened so quickly it had left Nick with barely any room to feel. He tried to stay strong around Aimee- more for his sake than hers, it'd didn't seem to make any difference to her- but behind closed doors he let it all out. The tears started to roll as he thought of her downstairs and everything they'd been through together. **

**She'd been there for him since they were born. They were only a few days apart- Nick was older by 3 days- and they'd done everything together since. Nursery school, primary school, middle school, high school, college. Everything. They were in a band together, they'd taken pretty much all the same classes- only Nick had taken art when Aimee had taken biology and astronomy. He wanted the old Aimee back- the one who called him at 3am, the one that danced around with him at lunchtimes when all the other girls glared. That was just it- Aimee was the only girl unaffected by Nick's undeniable charms. It worked on every other girl in school and always had- a quick glance, maybe a wink, leaning against a locker, talking up close. But the one person he wanted it to work on didn't notice it. He caught a sob in his throat and swallowed hard- he had to say sorry now.**


	3. Chapter 3

Aimee sat downstairs and felt the tears roll in waves down her face. She hadn't ever wanted to get mad at Nick. He had been there for her all her life and had never betrayed her. When her brother died when she was 4 he stepped in, being the brother she had never had. But she didn't see him as a brother, he was her best friend and she had always loved him. All the others girls fell for his charms but they didn't work on her because she knew him, she knew it was only a mask. She couldn't hear him upstairs and began to worry. She hadn't meant to make him upset with her or to get mad at him, she wanted to go up there, to make it better. She shook her head. She knew she didn't have the energy. She couldn't even support herself properly let alone climb stairs and then talk to him! But she knew she had to. Slowly but surely Aimee began to push herself up from the sofa and onto her feet. It felt odd standing by herself and she took a tiny moment to revel in her own self-pride. Carefully she began to take steps to the door. Managing to reach it in 7 steps she turned the door carefully and opened it wide. A rush of cool air swept over her from outside as she turned to the stairs. They looked huge and scary compared to the small front room she'd spent most of the last month in but she was determined to make it!

Nick stepped out of the room and onto the hallway. He glanced at his watch as he walked along it, stopping at the foot of the stairs. As a normal reaction he looked up but shock didn't begin to describe what he saw at the foot of the stairs.

"Aimee?" He breathed.

She smiled faintly at him.

"How did you-?" He shook his head, lost for words.

She took a step up the stairs and began to climb them.

"Wait, are you sure about this?" He asked.

She nodded and took another step, pausing slightly.

"Nick." She whispered, "I want to see my room again but I want to get there on my own."Nick nodded, understanding. He took a step back into the hallway as she carried on climbing the stairs. She got to the top, a weak smile on her pale face. She almost slipped, but when Nick offered her his hand she batted it away. He ran ahead of her and pushed open her bedroom door. It had been untouched for a month. She smiled warmly, feeling the memories inside the room. She stepped lightly past Nick and sat on her bed. The unused boards groaned appreciatively. She motioned Nick to sit beside her and when he did she leant her head on his shoulder.

"Nick." She whispered.

"Don't say anything baby girl. Save your strength." He cautioned softly.

She smiles. Baby Girl. That was always her name. He never called anyone else that. Ever. His hand found hers and she looked up sweetly.

"Aimee…" He breathed, "Aimee, my baby girl, I love you."

Her breath caught in her throat and she pushed back from Nick.

"Are you alright?"" He said, catching her arms, alarms ringing in his head.

She nodded, smiling warmly at her best friend. Slowly she sat back up, their hands still pressed together.

"I love you too Nick, I always have." She whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**He twined his fingers through hers, treasuring the feeling of finally being close to Aimee. He kissed her forehead gently, like a child does a delicate porcelain doll.**

"**Forever baby." He smiled, squeezing her hand.**

"**Always Nick, like I said, best friends no matter what." She kissed him quickly, with a tiny tear on her cheek.**

**She could feel the pain in her stomach, rising and stabbing slowly, edging it's way up. But she was determined to fight now, now at least she had something to fight for. Nick could feel her tensing next to him like she was trying to suppress something.**

'_**Oh God not now, please God don't let her fall from me now'**_** He thought miserably, holding her close.**

"**Aimee, baby, what's wrong?" He asked as she started to shiver.**

"**Nothing." She said, pulling away from Nick and holding her sides, "It's nothing."**

"**Aimee this isn't nothing what's wrong?!" He started to panic.**

**She waved him off, but a pain in her stomach made her yelp and fall onto her bed. She lay on her back, her hands clawing at the sides of her jumper. He was beside her, easing a hand away from her side and holding it in his.**

"**Aimee, Aimee, listen to me. Look at me." He soothed.**

**She stopped writhing and looked at Nick, her eyes warm and loving. Her other hand came away from her side, stroking his face. Tears were pouring from her eyes without tainting her angelic smile.**

"**Nick. Do you remember when we were little, and I used to talk to you about the fairies and the angels? That they used to drink from little leaves at the bottom of my bed when I was asleep and I left the thimbles out with wool in them for their beds?" She asked calmly.**

**Nick nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks, unable to be contained.**

"**I need a bed like that now Nicky. Help me? Please?" She smiled, her eyes sad and warm all at once.**

**He picked Aimee up from on top of her sheets a pushed her inside her bed covers. He pushed her fluffy cushions all around her, remembering the little thimbles she used to make. She looked like a fairy now, so perfect and peaceful.**

"**Close the curtains." She breathed.**

**Tears still poured from his eyes as Nick closed the curtain, shutting the last sunlight out that would ever fall on Aimee's fair face. He clasped her hands in his again, kissing her forehead and shaking.**

"**Aimee don't go, you can't leave me now…" He sobbed, shuddering violently.**

**She shushed him gently, like a grandmother does to a small child.**

"**Nick. I'll never ever leave you." She breathed, her eyes fluttering softly, "Hold me Nick, I want to know you're here."He held her close, stroking her hair and kissing her cheek. Her hand retreated from his shoulder and lay perfectly on her heart.**

"**I love you Nick. We were always meant to be yeah? This was our fairytale." She whispered, kissing him softly.**

**Nick sobbed violently, holding her close to him. His tears mingled with hers as he felt the warmth leave her. Shaking all over, he laid her down on the bed, perfectly like an angel.**

"**Aimee…." He whispered, shaking his head and crying.**

**He collapsed, a shuddering heap beside her. **

'_**We were always meant to be yeah?'**_

**The words played over in his mind. She was right, and now he hand no-one else and never would have that meant anything like she did. He stood and walked thoughtlessly into the bathroom. He took her father's razor from the cabinet and walked back into Aimee's room. He kissed her icy forehead gently.**

"**Make way for me my angel." He whispered.**


	5. Chapter 5

"**Aimee, Nick, we're home!"**

**Aimee's mother looked around the hallway, Nick's coat was still on the rack. She could hear the TV in the front room and pushed open the door. No sign of Aimee. **

"**Aimee? Nick?" She called again.**

**Aimee's father stepped in through the front door, putting his bags down by the rack.**

"**Where are the kids?" He asked, taking off his gloves.**

"**I don't know." She answered simply.**

**Aimee's father shrugged, "I'll look in the garden. You never know."**

**He trudged off through the kitchen. Her mother stood in the hallway, looking up at the stairs. The carpet on them was the type that you could make footprints on and their were two pairs on it. She took the stairs quietly, listening for them. She passed the bathroom, the door wide open. She didn't see the open cabinet door with it's mirror facing the tiled wall. Aimee's bedroom door was closed like always, but slightly ajar. She eased the door slowly, looking into the gloom. She flicked the switch, and screamed.**

**Aimee's mother looked upon her dead daughter, lying beside her now dead best friend. Nick's arm hung off the bed, his wrist dark red and hand pale as snow. Their funeral was quick and emotional, buried side by side to be friends in the next life and lovers forever. But no-one noticed that the blood from Nick's wrist had fallen onto Aimee's favourite childhood fairytale. The book had a heart engraved into it's cover, Nick's blood had fallen into it.**

**It truly was their fairytale. **


End file.
